


The Fortune Teller's Knocking

by fairytaleslayer



Series: Beau-Centric One Shots [4]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Promising your first born child, Some mind control, reference to slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 08:55:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20992142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairytaleslayer/pseuds/fairytaleslayer
Summary: Once upon a time, Thoreau Lionett didn't repay a debt, and now the collector wants Beauregard. As was promised.





	The Fortune Teller's Knocking

The Lionett household was cold. Not just the wood and stone that always made Beauregard shiver in the evenings, but the people. The butlers and the maids. Her tutors. All had an opinion on her behavior – none of them good.

And her parents.

Beauregard had been trying to get their attention as long as she could remember. Behaving and learning her letters didn’t get any recognition, acting out and running away from her lessons just got her reprimanded. Other than that, they never gave her the time of day. It was like she didn’t exist – or like she was on another one of those planes the book she’d stolen from her father’s study spoke about. No one could see her.

When she was seven, Beauregard snuck back into her father’s office. She’d practically memorized the book she’d stolen six months ago, and she wanted another one. The books Andrech gave her to read were boring and old. Her father’s weren’t stories like she wanted, but at least they talked about places so far away from Kamordah that Beauregard could pretend she was somewhere else. Just for a little while.

She quickly found something that looked interesting. It was thin – her father probably wouldn’t notice if it was missing. When she opened it, a worn piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Curious, Beauregard pushed the book back where it came from on the shelf and picked up what looked like a letter. It wasn’t in handwriting she recognized.

_Thoreau_,

_This letter is pursuant to your agreement to pay in return for the advice bestowed upon you as to which parcel of barren land in the town of Kamordah would soon become fruitful. I have seen that you’ve done well for yourself in the years since, and your repayment is past due. Pay the fifty thousand gold pieces, as was agreed upon our transaction, or your firstborn child belongs to me. As was also agreed. A lovely daughter you have been blessed with, I hear. Have care Thoreau. What my cards give, they can take away just as easily. Such a pretty girl child too, though it would have been perfect if she’d only been the son you dreamed of. Isn’t that right? The money or the girl, Thoreau. Make your choice._

The letter wasn’t signed.

“What are you doing in here?!” Beauregard’s father shouted from the open doorway.

Beauregard squeaked and shoved the letter in her dress pocket before spinning around. “N-Nothing! I just wanted something to read!”

He grabbed her upper arm and nearly dragged her out of the study. “Stop making a mess! You’re always in the way Beauregard. Andrech!” His voice was so loud it echoed, and Beauregard wanted to cover her ears. “Collect your charge! And keep an eye on her this time or find another position!”

Beauregard got extra hours in lessons for being caught.

* * *

After the letter, Beau stopped trying. What was the point of trying to get her parents to love her if she was just going to be taken away? Expounding on that, what did it really matter whatever she did? Break into a couple houses with the local street kids, hang out in the tavern after sneaking out at night. It definitely didn’t matter if she started smuggling and bootlegging her father’s wine did it? It certainly didn’t matter if she snuck out to go stay with Tori for the night, nearly getting caught by the local Crown’s Guard every other evening. That witch or hag or fortune teller or whatever was going to come collect her someday anyways. She might as well have fun while she could.

Honestly, finally getting caught and then stolen by the Cobalt Soul monks was as much a relief as an embarrassment to Beau. If she was going to be kidnapped away from her home, a bunch of stuck up librarians were probably better than a skeevy witch person.

Getting taught to fight was a bonus she never expected.

* * *

She hated Molly's tarot cards in a way she hadn’t hated something since her father had had her kidnapped. The letter she stole years ago and memorized and opened and folded so many times the ink wore off still burned a threatening hole in her pocket. Tarot cards had dictated her life before she was even born, and Beau hated that lack of control more than anything. Every time Molly pulled the cards out, it was like they were laughing at her – predicting the day the fortune teller would come for Beau with her own lying cards.

Then Molly died, and Beau kept the cards. They stayed in the pocket with the letter, a small act of defiance against the witch who may or may not someday claim her.

Everything Beau had ever done in her life, even recently with the Nein, felt a bit too much like borrowed time. Even though she hadn't seen her father or been back to Kamordah since she was sixteen, had no ties left with her father, the witch might not know that.

And Beau sure as fuck knew Thoreau had never paid a copper unless it was forcefully taken from him.

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

After getting banned from the second Cobalt Soul library in as many days, Beau was eyeing Jester’s latest pranking shenanigans amusedly when the last person she ever expected to see marched through the tavern doors.

Thoreau Lionett gazed around the room with disdain before his eyes finally fell on Beau. She contemplated running away, but steeled herself. He had no hold over her anymore. Her father couldn’t do anything to her. She was stronger now.

He came and sat down at the table as Beau eyed him warily. “How did you find me?” she eventually worked up the courage to ask. Fjord, Caleb, and Caduceus, the only ones left at the table, watched the exchange with worry. More placid from Duceus, but Beau didn’t really expect anything different. “Also, why? I thought we’d had enough of each other when you had me kidnapped.” Fjord and Caleb stiffened at that new information, hands reaching for weapons and materials they didn’t have.

Thoreau grimaced. “The Reserve mentioned you were in the area when I inquired, Beauregard.” Beau had to physically stop herself from correcting him. She _hated _the reminder.

“And I doubt you came for a chat. You know, with the disowning and all. Don’t you have a son to teach how to run the joint yet? Or was he a disappointment too?”

“Quite the opposite,” Thoreau sniped back, familiar frustration building in his eyes. “He’s everything we could want. A perfect son.”

Beau refused to show how much that could still sting. “Well then. Sounds like you’ve got _everything_ you wanted. Why don’t you piss off then?”

“Because as much as it pains me to admit, I need you and your mercenary friends.” He made ‘mercenary’ sound like an insult. Beau was sure her father thought them all beneath him. “Alexander has gone missing.”

“Who?”

“Your _brother_.”

Beau rolled her eyes. “And how was I supposed to know that? I’ve never met the kid and your letter _disowning _me after he was born didn’t mention it. Cut the shit or find somebody else. Why the fuck do you want my help anyway? Get a Crown’s Guard to find him.” She wasn’t going to care. She wasn’t.

“I already know who took him and where he is. And given the letter that has been missing since you were a child, I gather you do as well. I would like to – avoid certain unpleasantries. I need you to get him back.”

“Are you seriously that fucking selfish?” Beau exclaimed. “You made my life miserable for _years_, expecting me to get taken every day because you refused to pay off that fucking – hag, or whoever they are – and then when you finally get your son, you _still _couldn’t bring yourself to lose some gold? Never mind she performed a service you requested, and you benefited from it. You promised her a child who didn’t exist, or a sum of gold you apparently aren’t willing to pay. Now you’ve lost the only kid you ever wanted. Give me one good reason I should help a fucking asshole like you.”

Thoreau actually seemed prepared for that question. “All will be forgiven between us if you bring Alexander back. You can be a Lionett again.”

“Wrong answer. I don’t want back in. I’ve outgrown whatever need I had for you and Mother to love me. And you’re lying anyway. But I’ll bring him back. Because as much as Alexander doesn’t deserve to have parents like you, I’m sure a hag isn’t doing him any favors either. I’ll deliver him to Kamordah when it’s done. Give that guy whatever details you know about who took him.” Pointing at Fjord, knowing it would make Thoreau uncomfortable dealing with a half-orc and wanting him to squirm a bit under Fjord’s current glaring, Beau drained her mug and pushed back from the table to go get another, entirely done with dealing with her father.

He was gone when she got back, plopping herself into her seat with a groan. Fjord and Caleb were staring at her, waiting for an explanation. “What the fuck just happened?” Fjord questioned.

“Apparently a rescue mission,” Beau said blithely.

“No. _That _was your – your _father_?” Caleb asked.

Beau sighed heavily. “Thoreau Lionett. Yeah that was him. Real piece of work, right?” She tried a smirk, but it didn’t look genuine.

Jester and Nott had returned to the table, and Fjord quickly caught them up on what they had missed. After having to delve a little further into her history than Beau was comfortable with and hearing the directions Thoreau had given Fjord, they decided they would leave the next morning. She would get Alexander Lionett back.

* * *

“So wonderful to finally meet you, Beauregard Lionett.”

The Nein had gone to the location Thoreau had indicated – a small house near in the middle of nowhere, hours away from any kind of civilization while still managing to be close to the crossroads of several major thruways of the Empire. The woman inside looked unassuming enough, but Beau didn’t let herself relax. She was probably packing some pretty heavy firepower in those hands.

“Jayrue, I assume?” Beau asked, ignoring the greeting.

“At your service.” Jayrue bowed. “Although, perhaps you are at mine. Your desperate father sent you for the child, I assume. Did he give you the payment as well, or does he expect you to put up the gold?”

Beau shook her head. “No one’s getting anything until I see the boy.”

“He’s right over there.”

Beau inched over to the bars laid into the floor of the house, the rest of the Nein keeping a wary eye on the woman. Below the bars, laying down on a pallet in the sunken pit dug into the dirt, a boy no more than maybe five looked up with scared eyes. “Alexander? You okay kid?”

“Wh-Who are you?” His voice was trembling.

“Our father sent me to come get you. We’re taking you home.”

“Beau-Beauregard?”

That made her pause. So he _had _heard of her from someone. Beau wondered if anything he knew about her was good. “Yeah kiddo. I’m your big sister. Give me just a minute.”

“That’s where you _might _hit a kink in your plans,” Jayrue interrupted. “See, little Alexander’s not going anywhere if I don’t get paid what I am owed. It’s a simple transaction people. I perform a service, I get paid. If I don’t get the agreed upon amount, I take the child, a warning I _very _fairly give in advance I might add. These parents know the consequences of trying to skirt me.”

“Well we don’t have the money. But I didn’t make any deal with you and we _are_ taking Alexander. By force if we have to,” Beau threatened.

Jayrue rolled her eyes. “Must people always resort to violence first? Young people nowadays – so impatient. I’m not really one for killing, child. Too much blood on the floor.” A cunning look crossed her face and she stepped closer to Beau. “However. You said _we_ don’t have a deal. This is true. So why don’t we make a new one; right now.”

Beau frowned suspiciously. “I’m not hearing or agreeing to anything until Alexander is up here on ground level with us.”

“Fine,” Jayrue scoffed.

With a wave of her hand, the bars vanished, and Alexander, rising gently, was set on the floor. He immediately ran and buried his face in Beau’s thigh, arms wrapped tight around her leg and tears wetting her trousers. Beau patted the top of his head like she used to do for Kiri. “What’s this deal?” She had a sinking feeling she already knew what was coming.

“Simple really. I want the original agreed upon payment. I will give you Alexander, if _you_, Beauregard Lionett, stay.”

“Not happening,” Yasha interrupted with a snarl, raising her great sword. The rest of the Nein also began voicing their protests, until Beau raised a hand for them to quiet down.

“If I refuse?” she finally asked.

With a shrug and another wave of Jayrue’s hand, Alexander was gone. Beau’s head jerked down – her pant leg was still wet. Where was he? “You see – when you get to having my skill, it’s a simple thing to make an illusion seem _real_. To the point where they take on physical aspects for a short time.” This time, Jayrue walked over to the bars and muttered an unlocking spell, helping the real Alexander out of the cage. “Do we understand each other now?” she asked more seriously, holding Alexander by the shoulders as he stared at Beau with pleading eyes.

Beau’s shoulders slumped as she sighed. She glanced at Jester off to the side, who shook her head desperately and mouthed ‘No’. She smiled an apology. “Me for him.” It was the only way to guarantee Alexander’s safety. “Deal.”

“Excellent.”

“We can take her!” Nott protested.

Fjord agreed. “Beau, think this through.”

“I have.”

Yasha’s hand on her shoulder brought some comfort. “We’ll come back for you the moment he’s safe,” she murmured the promise too low for Jayrue to hear.

Beau nodded, looking Jayrue in the eyes. “I know.”

Jayrue released Alexander, and he ran over to throw his arms around Beau, just like his illusion had. She guided him to Jester, who took his hand and led him quickly out the door with one last look at Beau. Beau waved her on, trusting her to keep her little brother safe.

Yasha was the last to leave, though Caleb stayed by the door, obviously torn. “The next time you see me, I’ll be the one gutting you,” she warned Jayrue in a low, threatening tone.

“I look forward to you trying child. Now, off you go. Beauregard and I made a deal fair and square.” She waved them out and just like that, Beau was alone.

“Just because we made a deal, doesn’t mean I’m going to make this easy,” Beau growled, falling into her fighting stance.

Jayrue chuckled. “Oh, I expected nothing less. This is why I prefer to deal in children. Adults can be just so – messy.”

She murmured something in Sylvan, and the room around Beau faded into darkness.

“Glad to finally be rid of her,” Fjord’s voice shattered the darkness.

Beau could make out the voices of general agreement from the rest of the Nein.

“Too much trouble,” Caduceus added.

“No, no, no.” Searing pain shot through Beau’s head and she clawed at her temples, muttering. She flashed back to Jayrue’s house. It wasn’t real. The wizard seemed a bit surprised to find her aware again so quickly.

“Interesting,” she murmured. “Very well then. Sleep,” she commanded in a soothing voice. “Go to sleep Beauregard.”

Feeling woozy all of a sudden, Beau stumbled. She was caught by deceptively strong arms, and then it felt like she was floating on air before everything went dark.

* * *

Beau startled awake with the memory of a most vivid and terrible nightmare and a pounding headache. She winced, gripping her head and trying to forget the pain. Daring to open her eyes again, Beau saw dark earthen walls on all sides. The only source of light was coming from above, bars disrupting her view.

She was in the pit they’d found Alexander in.

“This isn’t over bitch!” she yelled up, immediately exacerbating her headache. Despite having slept gods knew how long, Beau felt exhausted. Like she’d been up and running for hours. She staggered over to the pallet and dropped onto it, rubbing her head. Frustrated, she kicked the wall a few times.

“Are you done throwing a tantrum like a toddler?” Jayrue’s voice drifted in several minutes later.

Beau snarled up at the face peering in. “Why don’t you fight fair and we’ll see who starts throwing a tantrum next?” she sneered.

“No need for that. We have to get you ready.”

“Ready for _what_?”

“We only have a few days before my other clients arrive,” Jayrue said mysteriously. “Generally the children only take a few hours to break in, but you – you might be tougher. I get the feeling your mind won’t be quite so easy to delve into. But let’s give it a shot, shall we? Come up out of there, Beauregard, if you please,” her last words held a vibration of power in them, and before she knew it, Beau found herself above ground again.

She shook her head, coming back to herself. “What the fuck?” she murmured. She didn’t recall consciously moving.

“Just a little trick to get things moving along quicker Beauregard dear. It is so annoying to deal with _whining_. Now stay still.”

Beau instantly found herself unable to move. Panic started to rise in her. She’d thought getting Alexander back would be simple. How powerful could a fortune teller really be, anyway? Far more powerful than she’d ever imagined. Beau was starting to doubt she would be able to resist whatever Jayrue had planned.

Jayrue nodded in approval. “Good. So you _can_ stand for me. I’m going to explain to you how this works, Beauregard. I run a business, plain and simple. I provide my clients the personnel they require, with a little flair of my own making. I’m sure you, a student of the Cobalt Soul, know of the Geas spell.”

The pit in Beau’s stomach sunk a little further. That was the spell Oban had used on Yasha all those months ago. That had taken Yasha from them, from herself.

“The idea is, normally, it lasts a good amount of time, but if I add just a bit more of my own power? I can make it last _much_ longer,” Jayrue explained with a kind smile – which honestly just frightened Beau more. It was like the wizard wanted Beau to share in her brilliance. “Not forever, mind you. That’s not good business. But if my buyers don’t want to go through all the trouble of actually having to break in their purchases after the effects wear off in say, a year, they pay me to renew the spell.”

A _year_?

“It’s a very lucrative business plan, and has done me quite well in the last several decades. Couples are always so _desperate_ for answers to all their problems right away. They just can’t wait. Sometimes they pay, but it’s better when they don’t. I make more money that way. Unfortunately you were given to one of those selfish couples, little Beauregard.”

A wave of Jayrue’s hand, and Beau could move again. Beau immediately swung her fist, but it passed right through the illusion’s body. “_Fuck_,” she snarled. “Where are you, you piece of shit?”

Tutting from over by the fireplace, and Jayrue appeared. “I’m an _illusion _specialist, Beauregard. Stop being so predictable and falling for child’s tricks. Now. I think it’s time we get to work. I promise this won’t hurt.”

Soothing calm washed over Beau, trying to lull her, but she shook the fog from her brain with as much force as she could. By the time her head was clear she was panting with the effort, glaring at Jayrue.

“Interesting,” Jayrue clucked, a bit disappointed. “No matter. There’s always tomorrow. Go back to sleep Beauregard.”

Unable to resist the wave of tiredness, Beau slipped back into unconsciousness before she could try to fight back.

* * *

The next day was more of the same. Beau woke from the worst nightmares she could ever remember, not feeling rested in the slightest. Jayrue forced her out of the pit, held her immobile, and tried Geas. Again, Beau just barely managed to resist falling under the compulsion and was sent back to a magical sleep.

The third day, Jayrue seemed impatient. It took her a couple tries to get Beau to hold still – Beau even managed to get a good punch in before Jayrue recovered and froze the monk in place. “_This _is why I don’t deal in adults very often,” she hissed. Beau felt just a bit proud for breaking the wizard’s composure finally. “Let’s do this one last time, shall we? _Behave_ for me, Beauregard.”

The fog rolled over her, and Beau felt calm. She didn’t have anything to worry about. Jayrue would tell her what to do. She relaxed, and so did Jayrue.

“Good girl. There we go,” she cooed. “It can be so easy, dear. And just in time for my first client. They should be here in a few minutes. You just wait here and be good. Alright, Beauregard?”

“Yes Jayrue.”

Jayrue left her sight, but Beau stayed where she was. Jayrue had asked her to after all. Beau wanted to do what she said.

“She’s right in here. I think you’ll find her to your satisfaction and what I promised you last week,” Jayrue’s voice filtered back into the room as she entered with a male human. Beau clocked him at about forty, not strong, not a fighter. She could take him out easy – get away from him. Her muscles tensed as though to run, but Jayrue told her to stay there. Beau wanted to obey her.

The man circled Beau, inspecting her slowly. His gaze made her fidget, and she thought about punching him. Her hand even clenched into a fist. “Still, Beauregard,” Jayrue ordered, and Beau reluctantly stopped. She wanted to leave, desperately wanted to be with her friends – her family – but Jayrue being happy with her was more important.

Finally, the man nodded and handed over a small bag. “Forty thousand. As agreed.”

“Excellent. I’m glad we could reach an agreement. Beauregard dear, listen to me.” Beauregard’s attention shifted back to Jayrue. “From now on, you take your orders from Lysandez. You obey him as though he were me. Do you understand?”

“Yes Jayrue.”

Jayrue turned back to Lysandez. “You’ve bought from me before, but those were children. Remember, she can choose to disobey. Not often, but that is the nature of the enchantment. She can’t do more than a small rebellion – a few seconds at most, but as always, take care what you give her. And there are no refunds. If she damages you, that’s a problem for you to solve. If you have no qualms, I’ll see you in a year to reup the enchantment. Ten thousand each year for her.”

“The little ones were only five!” Lysandez protested.

“If you don’t like it, I can wait for my next client,” Jayrue threatened. “She’s the most valuable and talented property I have ever sold. I will have clients _lining_ up for one like her.” She offered up the bag of money to Lysandez. “Choose carefully, Lysandez,” she warned. “I don’t take kindly to those who back out on my deals.”

Lysandez hesitated but bowed after a moment. “I would not, Ma’am. Ten thousand it is. I look forward to seeing her value.”

“Oh, I promise she won’t disappoint.”

* * *

“Oh. It’s you lot,” Jayrue murmured as the Nein came charging in. With no teleportation circles available in Kamordah, it had taken a very long ten days to get there, deliver Alexander, and back to fetch Beau. “I should have known you would break the deal I made with young Beauregard. Oh! I did,” she corrected herself with a smile.

“Where’s Beau?” Jester demanded. The rest of the Nein had their hands on weapons, ready for a fight.

Jayrue’s arms spread in invitation. “Right over there.”

Fjord glanced down into the pit, seeing an asleep Beau on a pallet at the bottom. “Let her out.”

“No,” Jayrue denied simply. “We had an arrangement, Beau and I. I kept my end of the bargain, and I expect her to keep hers. With that, I expect non-interference from all of you.”

“Not gonna happen,” Yasha threatened. Nott cocked her crossbow with an audible ‘click’.

“Well I thought you might say that.” Jayrue turned to look at Fjord. “Take care of the little one first, would you dear? I don’t enjoy goblins.”

Nott hid behind the front door, shooting a bolt that lodged in the wizard’s shoulder. Caleb clapped Yasha on the back, sending the barbarian into a faster than normal rage. The clerics sent out twin bolts of energy just as Fjord sent his own blasts at Nott, knocking her on her butt. “Bad cowboy!” Nott screeched. She aimed her crossbow at Fjord, letting it fly as she was hit by a fork of lightning that streaked off toward Caleb, Jester, and Caduceus as well.

Caleb and Jester cried out in pain, dropping to the ground and writhing for a moment before falling still. Both were breathing hard as they staggered back to their feet. Jester sent out a sputtering healing spell followed up by a stronger one from Caduceus. Fjord switched his target to Yasha after she landed a strong hit on Jayrue.

When she was burned by two rays of fire from Caleb, Jayrue glared over at the opposing wizard. “Don’t try the tricks I’m better at young man,” she warned. She shouted a word in a language in no one recognized, and Caleb crumpled as overwhelming pain wracked his body.

He grunted, trying to get control of his body. “You - are not the worst I have had,” he muttered. He let loose another few rays, concentrating hard through the pain. It subsided after a few more seconds, and Caleb breathed a sigh of relief, dusting himself off.

Fjord kept blasting Yasha while she continued swinging at Jayrue, who had finally had enough. “I think it’s time you sleep now.” Yasha stopped in her tracks before her sword fell from limp fingers and she dropped face first to the floor. “Now,” she told Fjord, “take care of the little one like I told you.”

The Nein were beginning to panic, having severely underestimated Jayrue’s abilities. They all started nagging Fjord with small spells, trying to snap him out of it, but he just switched to firing at Nott with Yasha incapacitated.

But even with the distraction of one of their own, Jayrue was hurting. Pressing her hands to her temples, she let out an ear-piercing scream that became amplified as it left her mouth. Everyone, even Fjord, flinched and held their hands to their ears, crying out in pain. Blood began pouring from noses and ears as everyone swayed in place.

When the noise finally died out, Caleb was barely on his feet. Yasha was woken from her slumber, but she looked woozy and unable to see straight as she missed her sword the first time she tried to grab it. Shaken, Nott missed her shot at Jayrue, while Jester let out a scorching flame at the wizard. In retaliation, Fjord blasted the Tiefling, and Jester dropped unconscious.

Caduceus held out his hand, and black seeped and dripped before flying in Jayrue’s direction, swarming over her for a moment as she screeched in pain. “Turn on one another,” she muttered, sending out yet another spell meant to distract and give her the advantage. Caleb and Caduceus checked on the rest of the party as Fjord, Nott, and Yasha all stiffened and looked at every other person like they were the enemy.

“AAUUGGHH!” Nott swung her bow from person to person, letting it go at random. The bolt slammed into Caduceus’ thigh, dropping him to one knee.

“Take care of her!” Caduceus shook his head as Caleb went to help him up, pointing at Jayrue.

Obeying, Caleb shot out a few more rays of fire as Yasha finally stumbled to her full height. She looked at Fjord, then at Jayrue, lifted the Skingorger, and _plunged _it into the wizard’s abdomen. The moment Jayrue had collapsed on herself, Caduceus was at Jester’s side, bringing her back to consciousness. “Get the cage open,” he requested from Nott, who skittered over to the opening of the pit.

“There’s no lock!” she shouted back. “Caleb!”

The wizard came over, inspected the bars, before a loud ‘knock’ echoed through the house. The bars vanished. “It will only last a few minutes. Someone get her out.”

Yasha clambered down into the pit and tried to rouse Beau. Her hand passed right through the illusion. Her stomach dropped.

They’d been played.

“Is she alright?” Jester was finally aware again and on her feet, looking anxiously down into the pit and waiting for good news about her best friend.

Hoping she was wrong the first time, Yasha moved to block the rest of their sight with her body, and tried to touch Beau again. Once more, her hand didn’t meet flesh and bone. She looked up at the others, and shook her head. “She’s not here.”

“What are you talking about? She’s right there.” Nott took a swig from her flask.

“It’s another – illusion. Like she did with the boy. It isn’t Beau.”

Tears were running down Jester’s face and she bit her lip. “But – where is she?”

“I don’t know Jester,” Yasha answered quietly, pulling herself out of the pit. She gave the Tiefling a brief hug. She seemed like she needed one, and Beau wasn’t there to give it to her like she normally would. “We’ll figure it out.”

“Can you scry on her?” Fjord asked.

“I mean – yeah, but it won’t tell me where she is unless I recognize the area,” Jester sniffled.

“I could speak with her if you like,” Caduceus said in his slow way.

Fjord frowned. “To Beau?”

“No. The departed. Ask her some questions.”

“_Please _Caduceus,” Jester begged. “I know you don’t like it very much but please.”

Caduceus shrugged. “She’s going to lay back down anyway that’s alright.” He shuffled over to where Jayrue had fallen, lighting some of the incense he’d made from a particularly nice odd plant that had grown in his graveyard. “Alright – Jayrue, was it? We’re going to have a bit of a chat, and we’d all really appreciate if you could help us find our friend. It’s not going to do you any good lying to us – I mean, you’re already dead, so – but I promise something nice will grow from you.”

Jayrue’s body suddenly moved to a sitting position, something the rest of the Nein never got used to no matter how many times Caduceus used that spell. Fjord especially took a large jump backward, barely holding in a yelp.

“That’s fine. Thank you,” Caduceus said politely. “Now. Is Miss Beau nearby?”

“_I couldn’t saaaaayyy_.” The voice hissed and rattled, dodging the first question. Yasha stepped forward angrily, but Jester grabbed her hand and held her back.

“Alright, that’s fair. I understand if you’re angry about dying. Most people would be. Let me ask this: did you sell Beau to somebody?”

“_Ask a better quessstionnn. One worth ansswering.”_

“Is Beauregard still alive?”

The corpse cocked its head. “_She wass when I last saw heerr_.”

“Okay, that’s one answer, I suppose. Is Beau still in the Empire?”

“…_Perhapsss_.”

Jester made a frustrated noise, but Caduceus held up his hand. “Alright, this is my last question, and then you can go back to your rest. Who did you sell Beau to?”

Jayrue’s head slowly turned until they were ‘looking’ straight into Caduceus’ eyes. They seemed to ponder for a moment, then – “_Montauth.” _As the words faded from its mouth, the corpse dropped back to the ground, all false life gone from the body.

Caduceus slumped, drained. “That was more difficult than usual,” he mused. “She must have been feeling pretty hostile about the whole…being killed by us. Huh. That’s interesting.” He gave the rest of the Nein that benign smile they were never quite sure was creepy or just vacant. “Very interesting.” He reached down and murmured a prayer to the Wildmother, and a few mushrooms began to form along the corpse. “She’ll be just fine here, I think. Let nature reclaim this place. I don’t think anyone will miss it.”

“So we just need to find this Montauth, and we’ll find Beau?” Jester asked, voice wavering.

“Sounds like it, Jester,” Fjord reassured her. “We’ll get started on that as soon as half of us are looking a little less dead.”

* * *

Beau hated Lysandez. She wanted to keep making Jayrue happy, so she followed the man’s orders, but he was a dick and she really didn’t like it. She’d tried small rebellions – even run off once – but the pain in her head each day she tried wasn’t really worth the momentary satisfaction. Beau gave up on disobeying for the most part after the fifth day of being in the Montauth Manor.

She wanted her family. Beau knew that she needed to do as Jayrue has asked, but she wanted the Nein too. Why couldn’t she just go to them?

Those thoughts never lasted long in her head before she seemed to get distracted.

On day eight, Beau came across an unattended knife. Looking around, as though it might be a trap, Beau quickly palmed it, then flinched like it might make her head burst into fiery pain again. When it didn’t, she grinned and pocketed the knife. She didn’t know what she was going to do with it – still had to obey whatever order Lysandez gave if she wanted to keep pleasing Jayrue – but it was best to be prepared for any circumstance.

Beau spent another couple days absently touching the handle of the knife whenever Lysandez issued an order Beau wasn’t sure she wanted to obey, but obliged because Jayrue asked her to be good.

Until the day Beau found herself alone with him. He was telling her to do something – she wasn’t sure what. She stopped listening a moment ago. Instead, she walked up to his side, staring at a spot just below his jawline. “Just what do you think you are doing?” Lysandez spat angrily. He was used to the others obeying the instant they were told something. This one was proving to be almost more trouble than she was worth, even under compulsion. “I gave you an order!”

Beau moved a step toward the mess, but then she pulled out the knife, still looking at Lysandez emotionlessly.

“W-What are you doing? Put that down at once! Where did you get that?”

Rather than obey, Beau buried the knife in the spot she’d been eying before. Agony split her head a moment later, and she dropped to the ground with a cry, the knife pulling out with her when her hand tightened at the pain. Blood spattered across her shirt and Lysandez slumped out of his chair and to the ground beside her. Disturbed, Beau scrambled away still holding her head.

Now there was no one to give her orders. Beau didn’t know what to do. Jayrue was going to be disappointed in her. She wanted to see her friends again. Jayrue would ask her to take orders from someone else. Maybe she could find her friends first.

Without a look back at Lysandez, Beau wandered out of the house and out onto the road.

* * *

The Nein had been on the road searching for Beau for three days when Caduceus spotted something coming on the road toward them. “There’s…someone. Up there.” He pointed.

The second she caught sight of blue, Jester was off and running. “Beau! Beau are you alright?” she asked, looking Beau up and down frantically. She was liberally covered in a spray of blood, but looked healthy enough. The rest of the Nein were in hot pursuit.

“I didn’t do what she asked,” Beau murmured absently. “She is going to be so – angry with me.”

Caleb approached, cautious of the way Beau was acting. “Beauregard. Do you know us?”

Beau nodded. “You’re my friends. I wanted to find you. But I have to get back and ask Jayrue what I’m supposed to do now. I killed Lysandez. Jayrue told me to obey him, and I killed him – I wanted to see you again. She just wanted me to be good.”

Their monk was being kind of creepy. Fjord shuddered. “Any idea how to fix this? Jester? Caduceus?”

“Why’s she acting scary?” Nott added.

Yasha was just observing, her fists clenching and unclenching as she tried to control her rage. “Jester?” she asked through gritted teeth.

Jester and Caduceus nodded at the same time, confirming Yasha’s silent question. “It’s the same spell Yasha, but we can fix it. Just like with you,” Jester promised. “We will fix it. Just – get her to sit or something so she doesn’t try to go back to Jayrue.”

“Jayrue’s here?” Beau perked up, looking around for the wizard.

“No, Beau,” Yasha denied, voice gentle. “She isn’t. But if you stop for a moment, everything – it’ll all be fine. You’ll feel better.”

Beau obligingly sat down in the grass when Yasha pressed on her shoulder. Her complacency unnerved all of the Nein. They were used to prickly and brash Beau. “I found you,” Beau stated, looking straight up at Yasha.

“You did,” Yasha nodded. “Now let Jester and Caduceus fix it.”

“Okay.”

A few minutes later, Caduceus was casting a restoration while Jester kept Beau calm. Beau shuddered, her eyes closing for a moment before they shot open. “Shit,” she grunted, looking exhausted. “Is she dead? She’s dead right?”

“She’s gone Beau,” Yasha reassured her.

Jester flung her arms around Beau, giving her a tight squeeze. “How do you feel? Do you need to puke? Or cry? Or break something?

“I kind of just want to sleep, if none of you mind,” Beau admitted. “Feels like I haven’t slept since I made you leave.” Her face pinched uncomfortably. “She uh – had a lot of uh, mind games. To, you know, break you down or, whatever. Most of it involved making me sleep and then invading it.” She let out a deep sigh. “I’m so tired.”

A head shake from Fjord kept Jester from jumping immediately into what might have been some prying questions that Beau probably didn’t want to answer. Jester bit her lip and held her tongue on what she really wanted to ask, instead going with a safer topic. “Do you want to camp here, or maybe Caleb? You could teleport us somewhere?”

“Ja,” Caleb agreed. “I could.”

“I’m good here,” Beau denied. “Just – no need to go to the trouble. It’s fine. Alexander’s alright?”

“Safely delivered to some happy parents,” Fjord confirmed. “Your town is uh – quaint.”

“Nice,” Nott supplied.

Beau snorted. “It’s a shithole,” she said quietly. “Only good thing about this whole – deal – is I didn’t have to go back there. I don’t want to go there.”

“You don’t have to,” Yasha told her.

“No one here is going to make you do anything you do not want to,” Caleb said.

Beau was nearly asleep on her feet. Jester bustled her into a bedroll she pulled out of their bag before she collapsed on them, tucking her in and patting her on the head. “Sleep Beau. We’ll keep an eye on you,” she promised.

* * *

“Are we sure she is alright now?” Caleb questioned the clerics over an hour later. “I want to believe it, but you heard her. What she said – it almost sounded like – torture, ja?”

Fjord nodded. “It did. But Jayrue still had to use enchantment to get Beau agreeable, so…that’s a good thing right? It means she didn’t break.”

“Or maybe it broke her just enough for the enchantment to take hold,” Caleb argued. “I want Beau to be okay as much as the rest of you, but how do we know?”

“We will just – have to wait and see,” Yasha murmured.

Jester jumped in. “Yeah, it’s not like we’re going to leave her even if the jerk did do something to her brain. We can help if she did. Right?”

“My brain is just fucking fine, thank you very much,” Beau mumbled, sounding exhausted still. “She fucked with it, but she didn’t scramble it permanently. That’s what the restoration was for. If you guys have more questions, can they wait ‘til morning? I’m tired.”

“Beau you’re supposed to be asleep,” Jester scolded, tucking the monk back in quickly.

Beau grunted, struggling out of the blanket. “No, I’m up now. Just don’t want to fucking be talking any more. Who’s keeping watch?”

“Me and Yasha,” Nott piped up.

“Cool.”

Beau rubbed her eyes and wandered over to sit on a tree stump by the camp fire. She really didn’t seem inclined to talk, so the rest of the Nein shuffled off to bed. Caleb gave Beau a squeeze on the shoulder. Jester bounced up, pressing a kiss to the top of Beau’s head. “Love you Beau. Missed you.”

That got a smile from the monk. “Missed you too Jes.”

She sat with her eyes closed, caught up in the murmuring from Yasha and Nott. Nott was telling Yasha about the flowers typically found in springtime in Felderwin and Yasha was paying close attention. The quiet conversation was soothing. It silenced the voices yammering in her head that were angry about being forced from her own mind or were terrified of it happening again. Staying away from her fucking father would be a good start in it not happening again. And if she never saw another person with tarot cards in her life, it would be too soon.

For now though, it was enough to be surrounded by her family. Comfortable at last, Beau nodded off again where she was sat, not waking even when Nott noticed and Yasha carried her back to bed. She was finally safe from the specter that had haunted her entire childhood. There would be no more nightmares.

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing a character of the Lawful Evil subtype, and let me tell ya, they are so much /creepier/ than the chaotics. I was giving myself chills writing her scenes with Beau, I almost gave up the fic because it was a scary mindset to be in. But also so much fun.


End file.
